cat-o'-nine-tails

American  

[kat-uh-nahyn-teylz] / ˌkæt əˈnaɪnˌteɪlz /

noun

plural

cat-o'-nine-tails

1. a whip, usually having nine knotted lines or cords fastened to a handle, used for flogging.

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cat-o'-nine-tails British  

noun

1. Often shortened to: cat.  a rope whip consisting of nine knotted thongs, used formerly to flog prisoners

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Etymology

Origin of cat-o'-nine-tails

First recorded in 1685–95; so called in allusion to a cat's scratches

Example Sentences

Enveloping himself in a cloak, with a cat-o'-nine-tails in his hand, he awaits developments.

From Project Gutenberg

The first mate lashed the line forward with a cat-o'-nine-tails, positioning them along the scuppers.

From Project Gutenberg

That is at football, by the way, not just the nation's game but its sackcloth and ashes, its cat-o'-nine-tails, its hemlock on the bedside table.

From The Guardian

As for Tobit, the scowling look, replete with cat-o'-nine-tails, actually departed, temporarily at least.

From Project Gutenberg

The thick-set tufts of the cat-o'-nine-tails afford ideal sites for summer cottages, with building material close at hand.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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